The deeper they swam, the quieter the ocean became. The bright colors of the shallow sea faded into darker blues, and the water felt colder, heavier, like it carried the weight of forgotten stories.
Ahead of them, something massive appeared through the drifting currents.
"Wait… what is that?" Selene whispered.
Liora's eyes widened.
Ruins.
Towering stone arches rose from the ocean floor, wrapped in glowing sea plants. Broken statues stood like silent guardians, their faces worn by centuries of waves. Roads of white stone stretched between fallen pillars, leading to a great palace buried in coral and shimmering shells.
"A city…" Liora said softly.
Kael floated beside her, gripping his trident. "Not just any city. This is Aqualis, the lost kingdom of the sea."
Selene spun slowly in the water, amazed. "A whole city under the ocean? Why didn't anyone tell us this existed?"
Riven's voice was quiet but serious. "Because it was meant to be forgotten."
They drifted between the ancient buildings. Fish with glowing scales swam through cracked windows. Seaweed waved gently through empty halls. The entire place felt peaceful… but also haunted.
Liora approached a broken statue in the center of a large square. It showed two figures standing together.
One held a crescent moon.
The other held a trident.
"The Moon and the Sea…" she whispered.
Kael stared at the statue. "Our ancestors."
Suddenly, the water around them turned colder.
A dark ripple spread through the ruins.
Selene felt it first. "Uh… guys? That doesn't feel friendly."
From behind the shattered palace gates, a shadow moved.
Slow.
Massive.
Two glowing red eyes opened in the darkness.
The creature slithered forward, its long body twisting through the ruins like a living storm cloud. Black scales reflected the faint ocean light, and its voice echoed through the water like thunder.
"So… the children have returned."
Liora froze. "Who… are you?"
The creature's grin revealed rows of sharp teeth.
"I am Neroth, the shadow beneath the tide."
Kael lifted his trident, water swirling around him. "Stay back."
Neroth laughed, a deep sound that shook the ancient stones.
"You think you are ready? The Moon and the Sea once ruled this world… but their power shattered this kingdom."
The creature's tail slammed into a nearby tower, sending clouds of sand and broken stone into the water.
"And I will make sure it never rises again."
Riven stepped forward calmly. "Then you will have to face us."
For a moment, the ruins of Aqualis were silent.
Then Neroth's eyes burned brighter.
The battle for the ocean had just begun.
Far above them, the moonlight shimmered faintly on the surface of the sea… watching.